Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Korea, updated continuously by our newsroom.
LG Electronics’ operating profit fell nearly 80 percent in the fourth-quarter of 2018 year-on-year, according to preliminary figures disclosed in a Financial Supervisory Service regulatory filing Tuesday. The smartphone and household appliances manufacturer…
Hyundai Motor will recall about 79,000 diesel-powered vehicles to fix faulty emission-related components, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday.Korea’s biggest carmaker by sales is expected to recall 78,721 vehicles encompassing three different models due to…
The world’s first Bite & Bite with Line Friends cafe has opened at Hong Kong International Airport. Operated by food and beverage company SSP Hong Kong, the cafe is located on level 7 near gate 201. The cafe combines original Line Friends characters with a…
LG Electronics unveiled the world’s first “rollable” television at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 that launched in Las Vegas, United States, on Tuesday. Last year, its affiliate LG Display unveiled a prototype of a 65-inch rollable OLED display…
Storefront, the world’s largest online marketplace for short-term retail space, has officially launched in Seoul. Retail vacancy rates in Korea are on the rise due to a prolonged recession, and more brands are diverting their interests from traditional retail…
South Korea’s top travel retailer Lotte Duty Free reported best-ever sales of 7.5 trillion won (US$6.7 billion) last year on a surge in online sales and mass purchases by Chinese merchants seeking trade in shuttling goods to China. Lotte Duty Free said its…
L’Oreal is now accepting applications from students in Korea for its annual global marketing competition “L’Oreal Brandstorm 2019.” The mission for this year’s competition is to “invent the future skin care experience for health-conscious consumers.”…
Samsung Electronics is teaming with arch-rival Apple to enable its smart TVs to access video, audio and other programming from iTunes. It is the first time the two have cooperated on content. The partnership was announced Monday. Beginning this spring,…
With the completion of its acquisition of Versace, global fashion group Michael Kors Holding has successfully transitioned into its new identity as Capri Holdings Limited. The group, which now owns Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace, hopes to leverage its…
Samsung is releasing a phone with robust functions specifically designed to meet the challenge posed by Huawei. It has fast internet speeds — utilizing 5G wireless — is foldable and has an innovative screen design. Last year’s smartphone market can be…
Toy retailer Mattel has announced a comprehensive, worldwide licensing agreement with popular South Korean boy band BTS. The creative collaboration will debut the first-ever line of BTS fashion dolls this summer. Under a multi-category license with BTS under…
Models showcase LG Electronics’ 260 flexible OLED signage displays put together to form a waterfall at the company’s Consumer Electronics Show 2019 exhibition entrance in Las Vegas on Monday. The annual event, which will host over 4,000 companies this year,…
Hyundai Motor on Monday introduced a car-subscription program with a monthly fee of 720,000 won ($646). Under the program, dubbed Hyundai Selection, three models are available for users and subscribers can change models on a limited basis. The vehicles…
South Korean convenience store openings in South Korea fell last year, according to industry data. Thought to be the effect of increasing labour costs and market saturation, the slowdown has manifested amongst several industry operators – including BGF…
South Korea is to ban big-time supermarkets and retailers nationwide from selling single-use plastic bags in an attempt to conserve natural resources and reduce recyclable waste. The ban will come into effect on Tuesday as part of a revised law on conserving…
Online shopping during the month of November has driven a 4.6 per cent increase in South Korean retail sales compared to the same period in the previous year, according to government data. Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy figures showed a 12.7 per cent…
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